After being on ADT for two weeks, my blood test shows my Testosterone to be 109 (low). I guess this is the goal of ADT, to lower my Testosterone. However, in the same test result, the following was flagged as either low or high. Can my ADT attributed to the issues flagged by the test result?
RBC 5.88 High
BUN/Creatinine Ratio 8 Low
Chloride 108 High
Carbon Dioxide, Total 19 Low
Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy 26.4 Low
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toyman79912
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Too early to say ADT has caused this. Understand what the items relate to and discuss with your doctor. A high RBC count: relates that your blood is thicker than wanted (blood clots an issue) - low BUN/Creatinine: relates many times to low protein intake, although there are some other things to look at - high Chloride: relates to possible dehydration, or too much salt in your diet, or poor kidney function - low CO2: several areas and functions, discuss with your doctor - the low Vitamin D: not enough intake, not enough exposure to the sun.
I have taken many medical courses and can read my blood panel quite well and consult with my doctor about results. They are a guide to look at various functions. Not being a doctor, so this is just observation. You may need to consume more water and improve your dietary intake to get sufficient vitamin and mineral intake. A supplement may help or consult a dietician, especially if you can find an oncology dietician.
Your T level has dropped but it should continue to fall further. Your doctors are looking for it to drop <50ng/dl. Your diet, exercise and such are important areas to stay aware of. There is no "prescribed" diet, but increasing fruits & veggies, cutting down on red meat and whole-fat dairy are recommended. You should be on a frequency for blood tests to keep any eye on where numbers go. Always consult with your doctor as they can assist with need of supplementation, especially related to bone density, calcium and Vitamin D. It is one area of concern.
I don't smoke. I work out five times a week with weights and was a avid runner up until a couple years ago due to arthritis in my ankle; I always tried to stay healthy all of my life. That is why this PC thing ready hit me hard at the beginning
Always the best way to begin understanding blood tests. I have type AB+ blood, very rare and it also means I have lower gastric acid. I don't always absorb things well. So my doctor and I keep an eye on B12, protein, anemia signs. Right now my protein levels bounce in and out of low. So we agreed I'd work on upping the protein intake to help pull this up. I follow a Mediterranean diet. I never want to make it sound "alarming" as many times it isn't. If it was your doctor most likely would have been in touch quickly. The trend of blood tests is more important, a one-off test indicates little.
Realize I don't treat this as a battle or war but rather as a journey down the road. When I reach a fork in the road, I get the information and input and decisions are made which new path to take. 6 years since diagnosis, 5 1/2 years since RP and little over a year since salvage radiation - none of it has stopped me from doing anything. Attitude and keeping up communication with your doctors is important.
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